Shared leave is a benefit available to help benefits-eligible employees who have exhausted their own paid leave when:

> they have suffered a catastrophic illness or injury that requires continuing treatment/supervision by a health care provider; or,
> they need to care for employee's spouse, parent, or child who has suffered a catastrophic illness or injury. A child is defined as a person under 18 years of age or 18 years of age or older and incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability.

Without this benefit, the employee would be required to take leave without pay or terminate employment.  

In compliance with County Policy 507 , the benefits-eligible employee must have exhausted all of his or her own paid leave benefits before shared leave hours may be used.  

A catastrophic illness or injury is defined as an extreme or life-threatening illness, injury, impairment, physical or mental condition (e.g. chemotherapy, broken back, fractured pelvis, organ transplant, AIDS, fetal endangerment, etc.).

Note: maternity leave is not a Shared Leave event.

An employee can receive only enough donated hours to cover a specific occurrence. Each occurrence requires a separate shared leave request.  

At the time an employee separates from the County, he/she cannot donate the balance of any accrued leave (e.g. vacation, sick, or personal holidays) to another employee. Donations must be made prior to separation.

How to Request Shared Leave
An employee requesting shared leave must complete the Shared Leave Program Request Form. The following information must be on the form:

> date
> name
> social security number
> department/agency
> date all paid leave is exhausted (you must use all of your own paid leave benefits prior to using any shared leave donated hours)
> expected return-to-work date
> number of shared leave hours requested (you can only receive enough donated hours to cover
> the specific occurrence - each occurrence requires a separate shared leave request)  
> requesting employee's signature and date

The form must be submitted to the department/agency head (or designee) for signature.

How to Donate Shared Leave
An employee donating shared leave must complete the Shared Leave Program Paid Time Off Donation Form. The following information must be on the form:  

> donor's name
> date
> department/agency
> social security number
> name and department/agency of the recipient
> number of hours to be donated by leave type (i.e., vacation*, sick*, or personal holidays)
> indicate if the recipient may be advised of the source of the donation (if he/she inquires)
> donating employee's signature and date

The form must be submitted to department/agency head (or designee) for signature.  

At the time an employee separates from the County, he/she cannot donate the balance of any accrued leave (i.e., vacation, sick, personal holidays) to another employee.

* For vacation/sick leave donations, the minimum donation is what an employee accrues for one pay period. Four hours of sick leave is the minimum donation from a full-time employee.

The Shared Leave Approval Process
The department/agency head (or designee) must review the shared leave request to determine if it meets the guidelines for shared leave and then approve/deny, sign, and date.

Note: Please contact the OFM-Benefits Division if you have questions regarding eligibility, the process, etc. All forms must be received in OFM-Benefits before the recipient is eligible to use the donated hours.